After several years of production, an oil or gas well can begin experiencing problems with production tubing. For example, the chemicals present in the production fluids can corrode the tubing to the point that the tubing develops a leak. When this occurs, the operator has the oil or gas well serviced to test the production tubing to determine the point of the failure. Typically, this is done with a selective testing tool that cooperates with landing nipples that are placed along the length of the wellbore. Landing nipples are run into the well on the completion tubing to provide specific landing locations for subsurface flow control equipment. These landing nipples, which may be chosen based on the weight of the tubing, feature common internal profiles making them universal. The completion can include as many landing nipples with the same interior diameter ID in any sequence as desired on the tubing string. This versatility results in an unlimited number of positions for setting and locking subsurface flow controls.
The flow control device, which is attached to the lock mandrel, may be run into the well via a coiled tubing or slickline. The operator can set the flow control device in any one of the landing nipples at the desired depth. If the target location is unsatisfactory or if well conditions change, the flow control device may be moved up or down the tubing string to another nipple location.